Repeating phonograph.



A. F. MADDEN. REPEATING PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION HLED DEC.9. 1914.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEETI "(/1 M l my;

ALBERT F. MADDEN OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

REPEATING PHONOGRAPH.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, ALBERT F. MADDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Phonographs, of which the following is a full and clear'specification.

My invention rlates in general to the repeating mechanism of phonographs and more especially to mechanical mechanism which is automatic in at on.

Shonographs are employed for rendering dance music and for such purposes it is desirable to repeat the music indefinitely. \Vhile, of course, my invention is applicable to repeating phonographs for whatever its operpurpose they may be employed, I refer to their use for rendering dance music as this field is one in which the automatic repeating of the selection is perhaps most desired.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inconspicuous attachment for phonographs by which the reproducer, when the needle arrives at the'end of the record, is automatically returned to the starting position and then released so that the continued operation of the phonograph proper will result in the selection being repeated.

According to my invention, the mechanism can be adjusted to cause the actuation of the repeat mechanism with great accu racy to suit the exact length of each selection to be reproduced. The construction also provides for the removal of the reproducer needle from the record groove prior 'to the return of the reproducer to starting position, and the gradual introduction of the needle into the record groove at the completion of the return movement, so that injury to the record is avoided.

A prominent feature of the invention is the use of the surface of the record itself or operating the return member. This is effected by the provision of a yielding resilient roller which is automatically thrown into engagement with the surface of the record at the end of the selectiom'and is held with its axis of rotation the record groove so that by the rotation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 9, 1914. Serial No.

repeating inclined to Patented June 22, 1915. 876,239.

the record, the roller is caused to veer rapidly out of the path of the successive grooves until the reproducer arrives at starting position where the return member is with drawn from contact with the record, and the reproducing needle is again gradually introduced into the groove. I

The invention is applicable to sound reproducing machines of either disk or cylinder type herein referred to as phonographs, but to clearly illustrate the principles there- ,of I shall describe the same with reference to an embodiment thereof in a disk machine, provided with the usual articulated reproducer arm.

' In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the repeating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts in section, the

device being shown in normal position; Fig. 3 is a similar view with the parts shown in the automatic return position. Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the automatic return roller; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the dash pot with its setting member and Fig. 6 is a detail elevation showing the tripping mechanism for controllingthe inauguration of the return movement.

Referring more specifically to said drawing, 10 indicates the ordinary box or'housing of the phonograph, 11 the turn table and 12 a disk record. The usual sound chest or bracket 13 supports the reproducer arm 14: which has as its outer end the U-tube 15, carrying the box 16 and needle 17. These parts' are herein referred to as the reproducer. The automatic return roller 18 is j ournaled in a forked knee lever 19, which is fulcrumed at 20 upon a bracket 21 made fast to' U-tube 15 by means of the split ring clamp 22. The position of bracket 21 on U-tub'e 15 is readily adjusted by means of thewing bolt 23, which controls the clamp.

Knee lever 19 has an arm 24: engaged by a leaf spring 2-5, suitably mounted on the split ring clamp 22, by which the roller 18 is norinally held out of engagement with the record. It will be observed from reference to Fig. 1 that the,roller 18 is soinclined to the record groove that clockwise mbvement of the record '12 will cause the same, to veer toward the outer edge of the disk. During axis so that very little power is required to nism for throwing roller 18 into operative 1 return action of its leaf spring when the such travel, the roller 18 rotatesiippn its return the reproducer to starting osition.

, lVith the mechanisin thus far escribed, it

y'ill' be seen that the roller 18 is normally icld clear of record 'l2in idle position by means of its return spring 95, and that with this mechanism the automatic repeating or resetting operation can be automatically controlled by suitably controlling the position of the roller 18. For accomplishing this result, I therefore provide automatic mechaengagement with the record 12 when the needle arrives at the end of the record, and for gradually-releasing the roller 18 to the reproducer has arrived in starting position. Under the broad scope of my invention, the

roller 18 may be thrown into operation by any suitable means, but'l have herein shown a control mechanism which operates successively and of which [some of the features are referred to asspecial features of, the invention. 1

Mounted upon the sound chest oi trunk 13 isa stationary. piateor table .26," provided with slots 27 and '28 for. the reception of an adjustablv fixed stop 29 and an adjustably fixed trip member 30. ,These stop and trip members are secured place by means of the thumb screws 31 and 32, and it will be understoodthat they are adjusted to assume I positions corresponding with the commence- 5 ment and endingof the record, as will be hereinafter explained. Above the station ary plate 26, aframe 33 is firmly clamped upon the swinging reproducer arm 14: by

means of split ring collar portion 34 and clamp screw 35. A lever 36 isfulc'rumed upon frame 33 by means of a screw post 38. Lever 36 has one of its ends bent. downward into the plane of stop-.29 and bifur cated to form a' cam finger 38 and stop finger 38. The other end of lever 36 is normally held behind trigger 39 pivoted to taining "frame 33 onserewAO and held in. lever reposition by leaf spring 41 also se cured to frame 33 (see Figs. 1 and 6) Trigge'r finger 39 extends downwardly into the path of the adjustable trip plate 3(7above referred to, whereby lever 36 is released from trigger 39 as .willbe seen. Lever 36 serves as the tensioning and control mem er for a sprlng' which throws the return spring 42 when under tension, holds the end of the lever iii-against the trigger 39, and. 63

that when trigger 39 is tripped, the spring the"trigger'39, ready for'anothcr o aeration is thus accom lished without shoc to the? reproducer; top finger 38 serves posi-v an tively to arrest the reproducer upon its er rival at starting position. The mechanism herein shown,'bv which the tension of spring 42 is applied to throw in the return roller 18 compriscsa push rod 47, which is adjust- 35 ably threaded into-socket 45 and slidably positioned in ablock 48 (see Figs. 1 and '5) integral with or securedto the cylinder 49 of a dash pot. Block 48 and dash; pot cylinder 4:9 are secured toa'fiange 50 of the split rin% clamp 43 by means of a bolt and nut 51. ush rod 47 has a ball52 secured on its outer end. This-ball 52-.eng'ages a plate 53 which is secured on the end of the piston 54 of the dash pot, which piston isherein illustrated as provided. with a leather cup washer 55 and'operatin to expel air from cylinder &9 (Fig. 2), t ugh a discharge ort 56 regulated by- -the needle-valve 57.

l Vhen spring 42% released by the tripping of trigger 39, this push rod 481 sets the dash pot and at'the same time engages a flangev 58 formed on knee'leverl), and thus throws the return roller 18 into operative. engage ment with the face of record 12.-

oration COiIi'GlClGIlttlli" raises the needle}...

out of the record'groove and the retin h ot the'reproducer to. starting position. is time, inaugurated;

During the return of the reproducer, the 11: bifurcatedend of lever 36 is held inward so when the rcproducer nears starting position the cam finger 38 engages the anthfriction roller of stop 29 and'the levcrflfi' isthereby, gradually restore 4 to nonnalipcsiticn with Fit the spring 42 1111 er tension and the lever; lockedby trigger 39. After the resetting of spring 42 and lever 36, the dash pot 49;5 4;

is released from-the push rod-47, and the? dash pot assumes controlof return roller 18. as:

The pressureof returnsprin '25 .o'n'arm 249' toget er with theweight offthe end of the;

repro ucer, graduaHy induces t-he discharge} of air from the daslrpot was the needle I? has been returned to the record groove and 121i simultanequsly'the roller 18 is raised from the rccord 12 into norfiiaifi pcsition.

With the apparatuuidescribed, I provide for the automatic resetting and repeating of the selection indefinitely without other attention than the initial adjustment of the stops, and Winding of the spring motor when such is employed. It will be apparent that the operation of the resetting mechanism is not dependent upon any particular form of phonograph drive and none is here'- in specifically show'n.

I- believe that the employment of the record itself without alteration or addition, for effecting the return movement of the reproducer, is broadly new in my present invention and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to any specific construction of the return roller or member, or the mechanism by which this is thrown into and out of operative engagement with the record. Another feature of novelty resides in the use of the return of the reproducer by the motion of the record, to store in the spring 42 the power necessary to throw 'the return means into tractive engagement with the record. it

I claim: 1. A repeating phonograph comprising in combination a reproducer, an operating sup port for a record, a roller operated by the;

record for returning the reproducer to starting position, and automatic means for throwing said return roller into and out of operative engagement with the record.

, 2. Arepeating phonograph comprising in combination a reproducer,an operating support for the record, a return roller mounted on said reproducer and movable into operative engagement with the record at inclined relation to the record groove, for raising the needle and returning the reproducer to starting position and automatic means for moving said return roller into and out of such operative engagement.

3. A repeat mechanism for phonograph reproducers, comprising in combination a yieldingroller for returning the reproducer to starting position, a knee lever in which said roller is mounted, for elevating and supporting the needle during the return of the reproducer, means for setting said roller in contact with and inclined to the record groove for actuation thereby, means for withdrawing said setting means from said groove, means for setting said roller in contact with and inclined to the record groove for actuation thereby and means for with drawing said setting means from said roller.

5. A repeat mechanism for phonograph reproducers, comprising in combination a yielding roller for returning the reproducer to starting position, a knee .lever in which said roller is mounted, for elevating and supporting the needle during the return .of the reproducer, means for setting said roller in contact with and inclined to the record groove for actuation thereby, means for withdrawing said setting means from said roller, means for removing said roller from the record groove, and means for cushioning the return of the needle to the recordgroove. 6. A repeat mechanism for phonograph reproduccrs, comprising in combination a yielding roller for returning the reproducer to starting position, a knee lever in which said roller is mounted, for elevating and supporting the needle during the return of the reproducer, means for attaching said knee lever to the reproducer, means' mounted on (the reproducer for normally holding said roller out of contact with the record groove, means for setting said roller in contact with and inclined :to the record reproducer adapted to follow the record, automatic return means mounted on said reproducer and movable into contactwith the record groove for returning the reproducer to starting position, means for restoring said return means to normal position out of contact with the record, means for setting said return means .in contact with the record groove" for actuation thereby, means for withdrawing said setting means from said return means and causing the return of the reproducer to store power 1n sald' setting means for a subsequent operation and means for retarding the restoration of said return means to normal position. 9. A repeating phonograph comprising i combination a record actuating support, a reproducer, means actuated by engagement with the record groove to return the reproducer to starting position, a spring moving with the reproducer and having suitable concombination a record actuating support, a

engaged by said cam finger during the return of the reproducer, for storing power in -'seidl spring, means for locking said lever with the spring u ndeetensipn, and 2. Sta

tion'ary stop for withdrawing said locking 10 means from said lever. ALBERT F; Witnesses: I

WM. A. COURTLAND, f OCTAVIUS KNIGHT. 

